A media content distribution system associated with a service provider may provide media content to media devices associated with subscribers. Active channel change servers (e.g., distribution servers or “D-servers”) of the media content distribution system receive media content from content sources and provide initial content to media devices associated with subscribers when channel change requests are received from media devices. A channel change request may be received when a media device and/or a display device coupled to the media device is turned on (e.g., a television), when user input received at the media device via a remote control or other control device indicates a channel change, when a personal video recorder associated with the media device requests a media stream to record, when user input received at the media device requests a picture-in-picture view, based on other input, or combinations thereof. The initial content sent to the media device in response to the channel change request may reduce a time to fill a buffer of the media device. Reducing the time to fill the buffer may enable a fast channel change (e.g., enabling display media content of a requested channel in less than one second) so that the media device can quickly begin playback of the requested media content. After receiving the initial content, the media device may receive the media content from another media server (e.g., an allocation server or A-server).